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Meet The Fockers
2 Stars out of 4
The key to making a successful ($ wise) sequel is to give the audience more of the same from the original. In that regard, Meet the Fockers was a success. However in my eyes, a successful sequel should build upon the successes of the original and somehow keep the mystery the original had. In this, the film fails. I loved Meet the Parents, but found myself bored stiff during Fockers. I expected the same sort of gags and jokes as the first, but somehow I once again tricked myself into thinking that a sequal could be somewhere near the original.
In the original, we are sympathizing with Gaylord Focker who is trying to impress his fiancées parents. That is a situation which all people can understand, we see ourselves in the character and feel for him when he makes those monumental disasters. In Fockers, the sympathy is supposed to be with Gaylord again, but this time the major joke is being embarrassed by your own parents. Once again, this is something we can all identify with, but it does not work this time. In the original, Jack Burns is intimidating and gruff, impressing him would be a nightmare and in the movie, it was. In the sequel, The Fockers are eccentric and embarrassing, but they are also loveable, fun, nice and hilarious. I even heard somebody say after the film "I wish the Fockers were my parents." Dustin Hoffman playing Mr. Focker is absolutely dynamite, if you go and see this movie, keep your eye on him every second. Every time he is on screen he is hilarious, he steals absolutely every scene he is in. This is the overall redeeming quality of the movie, but somehow it's downfall. Streisand, playing Mrs. Focker does a great job playing the mother, and her relationship with hoffman on screen is fantastic. It is their connection that shows Gaylord and Pam's relationship is stale and slightly unbelievable. I somehow wanted them to just leave with DeNiro and let me watch the Fockers in all their sexual and fun hilarity.
I knew what I was getting into when I went and saw the film, but I hoped for more. I guess that is the problem with reviewing movies, but I have to have my standards. It gets 2 out of 4 stars for me because it made me laugh sometimes.
